Artist&#39;s workbench and easel clamp



April 4, 1967 J. DE SENA 3,

ARTIST'S WORKBENCH AND EASEL CLAMP Filed May 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jseph fie Jena Aprifl 4, 1967 J DE SENA ARTIST'S WORKBENCH AND EASEL CLAMP 2 heets-Shet 2 &

NVENTOR A7TURNEY5 Jose #7 De Jena United States Patent 3,312,444 ARTISTS WORKBEN CH AND EASEL CLAMP Joseph De Sena, 36-27 12th St., Long Island City, N.Y. 11106 Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,609 4 Claims. ((Zl. 248-229) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clamps for fastening a frame or board to an artists workbench and easel such as shown in my United States Letters Patent 3,117,816.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a clamp for securing a frame or board to an artists workbench and easel which clamp is inherently springy for automatically fastening the frame or board to the workbench and easel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a onepiece clamp for clamping a frame or board to an artists workbench and easel, which clamp is simple and rugged in construction, economical to manufacture and effective for the purpose intended.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an artists combined workbench and easel with a frame with canvas thereon clamped to the workbench and easel by clamps made in accordance with the present invention, an artists being shown seated on the bench and in the process of painting, in dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamps shown in FIG. 1 in operative arrangement.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the fragment of a combined workbench and easel showing the clamp-s securing a frame thereto, taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a board clamped in position on the workbench and easel with the clamps shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of clamp.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a combined artists workbench and easel assembly including two rectangular end panels 12 and 14 which serve as vertical supports or legs for the assembly. The upper end 12 of panel 12 is secured by a hinge or hinges 16, only one being shown, to a teetangular panel 18. The hinges 16 are spaced slightly from the forward end B of panel 18 so that the upper end of panel 12 will underlay and support panel 18 at end B when the assembly is set up. Two hinges 20 are provided at opposite sides of the assembly 10. Opposite ends of the hinges 20 are secured to lateral edges of panels 12 and 18. Each hinge has a lower arm 21 provided with a finger 2-2 to overlay upper arm 23 of the hinge so that the hinegs when extended serve as reinforcing corner braces for mutually perpendicular panels 12, 18 at the front end of the assembly '10.

Panel 18 serves as the front part of a horizontal seat of the bench port-ion of the assembly 10. Another rectangular panel 24 serves as a rear part of the horizontal seat. Panel 24 is connected to panel 18 .by leaf hinges 215 located at upper sides of the panels on the rear end of panel 18 and from end to panel 24, which ends are abutted to each other when the seat is set up.

In order to reinforce the joints provided by hinges 25, two brace assemblies are provided at opposite sides of the seat, which assemblies are described in full in my Patent 3,117,816.

The rear end of horizontal seat panel 24 is connected to the vertical support rear panel 14 midway the ends of said rear panel. Two hinges 32 serve as rear corner braces for the seat, only one hinge 32 being shown. Opposite ends of arms 33, 34 of the hinges 32 are pivotally attached to lateral edges of panels 14 and 24. Lower arms 33 have fingers 35 which engage on upper edges of arms 44 to prevent downwardly collapsing of the hinges as viewed in FIG. 1.

The assembly 10 is provided with an easel including a long rectangular shaped front panel 42 suitably supported at its bottom end on the seat 24, and a-rectangular shaped rear panel 44 connected at its top end to panel 42 by means of a leaf hinge 46.

The foregoing bench and easel parts are disclosed in my Patent 3,117,816 and form no part of the present invention.

A rectangular shaped frame is shown supported on the rear end of the seat panel 24 and on the front easel panel 42. A canvas 52 is stretched over the frame 50 and is secured thereto by nails 54. The frame with canvas is secured in position by means of clamps made in accordance with the present invention. There are two upper clamps 56 and 5-8 shown clamping the upper part of the frame 50 to the front easel panel 42, and two lower clamps 60 and 62 clamping the lower part of the frame to the seat panel 24, the clamps being shown in detail in FIG. 2, in their operative arrangement.

The upper clamps 5'6 and 58 are of similar construction but clamp 56 is adapted for use at the left hand side of panel 42 and clamp 58 for use at the right hand side thereof as best seen in FIG. 1. Each of the clamps 56 and 58 is formed of springy sheet metal and each has a U-shaped body with a bight portion 64'and rectangular shaped side legs 66 and 68, which taper slightly toward each other. The bight portion 64 is formed with an outstruck lug 70 at one end thereof midway its sides, leaving a slot 72 therein. The side leg 66 is formed with a central outstruck 111g 74 leaving a slot 75, and with a curled free end edge 76. A curled lug 78 is formed on one long edge of the leg 66 centrally of said long edge, and the opposite long edge is formed with a similar curved ing 80 but longer than the lug 78. The side leg 68 is formed with a central slot 82 and with a curled free end edge 84. a

The lower clamps 60 and 62 are of similar construction but clamp 60 is adapted for use at the left hand side of panel 24 and clamp 62 for use at the right hand side thereof as best seen in FIG. 1. Each of the clamps 60 and '62 is formed of springy sheet metal and each has a U-shaped body 86, the bight portion 88 thereof being solid. One leg 90 is formed with an outstruck lug 92 leaving rectangular shaped slot 94 therein and having a curled free end 96. A lug 98 perpendicularly extends along one long edge of the leg 90 midway its ends and another opposed lug 100 extends laterally of the other long edge thereof disposed in the same plane as the plane of the leg and having a curled outer end edge 102. The other long leg 164 is formed with an outerstruck lug 106 leaving a rectangular shaped slot 108 centrally thereof, said outer leg having a curled free end edge 110. The legs 90 and 104 taper toward each other.

In use, the lower clamps 60 and 62 are slid over the seat panel 24 at opposite sides thereof adjacent the upright easel panel 42, and the upper clamps 56 and 58 are slid over the easel panel 42 a distance equal to the height of the frame 80. The bottom of the frame is seated on the legs 90 of the lower clamps 60 and 62, the curled edges 96 thereof being hooked over the outer bottom corner of the frame. The upper end of the frame 50 is then inserted under the curled lugs 80 of the upper clamps 56 and 58 whereby the frame is yieldingly fixed in position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

In FIG. 4 the clamps are shown clamping a rectangular shaped board 50' with -a canvas 52' stretched over its outer surface. The board is thinner than the frame 50 so that .the bottom end edge thereof is seated on the legs 90 of the lower clamps 60 and 62 between the lugs 98 and lugs 92 thereof, the dimensions of the clamps permitting this operatiom For clamping the thin board 50, the upper clamps 56 and 58 are reversed, that is, the clamp 58 is shown at the right hand side of FIG. 1 and is turned upside down and slipped over the panel 42 at the left hand side so that the lug 78 of leg 66 extends downwardly over the top of the board 50'. The other clamp 56 will be similarly turned upside down and slipped over the right hand sideof the panel 42 with its lug 78 extending downwardly over the board 50.

In FIG. 5, a modified form of clamp 120 is illustrated. Clamp 120 is longer than the clamps 56, 58, 60 and 62 and is sectional with the sections pivoted to each other. Clamp 120 has an elongated body constituted by elongated rectangular shaped plates 122, 122 with curved outer free end edges 124, 124. Each plate at its inner end is formed with triangular shaped side plates 126, 126 with holes in the apex pointed ends thereof. The plates 122 are disposed in face to face relation with their side plates overlapping and with pivot pins 128 in the aligned holes in the side plate so that the bodies are pivoted to each other. A springy curved metal plate 130 has one end welded to the inner end edge of each plate 122, the curved plates 130 curving toward each other with the free ends in engagement. A lug 132 is formed on one long edge of one of the body plates 122, the top plate as shown in FIG. 5.

In use, the clamp 120 may be slipped over the side of the frame 50 or board 50, the body plates 122, 122 opening against the action of the spring plates 130, 130 whereby the clamp is yieldingly held on the frame or board with the lug 132 and adjacent curved end edge 124 positioned tovclamp one end of the frame or board against the seat and easel.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modificationsrnay be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp device for fastening a frame to an artists combined workbench and easel, said device comprising a one-piece body formed of an elongated strip of sheet metal, said body being generally of U-shap including a bight portion and a pair of spaced legs extending perpendicularly from said bight portion, the legs tapering toward each other from the bight portion and being curled at their free ends, a lug extending perpendicularly from one long edge of one of the legs, and a lug extending laterally from the other opposite long edge .of said one leg in the same plane as the leg, said latter lug having curled end edge, said one leg adapted to support one end of a frame with the curved edge of the last named lug hooked over the edge of the frame.

2. A clamp device for fastening a frame to an artistss combined workbench and easel, said device comprising a one piece body formed of an elongated strip of sheet metal, said body being generally of U-shape including a bight portion and a pair of spaced legs extending perpendicularly from said bight portion, the legs tapering toward each other from the bight portion and being curled at their free ends, a lug extending perpendicularly from one long edge of one of the legs, and a lug extending laterally from the other opposite long edge of said one leg in the same plane as the leg, said latter lug having curled end edge, said one leg adapted to support one end of a frame with the curved edge of the last named lug hooked over the edge of the frame, the other of said legs having an outstruck lug.

3. A clamp device for fastening a frame to an artists combined workbench and easel, said device comprising a one-piece body formed of an elongated strip of sheet metal, said body being generally of U-shape including a bight portion and a pair of spaced legs extending perpendicularly from said bight portion, the legs tapering toward each other from the bight portion and being curled at their free ends, a log extending perpendicularly from one long edge of one of the legs, and a lug extending laterally from the other opposite long edge of said one leg in the same plane as the leg, said latter lug having curled end edge, said one leg adapted to support one end of a frame with the curved edge of the last named lug hooked over the edge of the frame, both legs having outstruck lugs and having slots therein.

4. A clamp device for fastening a frame to an artists combined workbench and easel, said device com-prising an elongated sectional body, each section including an elongated fiat plate curled at one end, triangular shaped side plates formed on the other end of the elongated plate, a curved spring member forming an extension of said other end of the elongated flat plate, the sections facing each other with the triangular'side plates overlapping at one corner thereof, the overlapping corners having aligned openings therein, pivot pins in said openings, said spring extensions pressing against each other, and a lug formed on one long edge of one of the elongated flat plates and extending perpendicularly of the plate adjacent the curled edge of said one plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,915 1/ 1893 Melzer 248-28 X 1,551,880 9/1925 Holman 248-28 1,874,813 8/1932 Saunders 248- 1,940,505 12/ 1933 Paulick "24-81 1,961,486 6/ 1934 Hall 312- 2,532,617 12/1950 Hauser et al. 24-81 3,117,816 1/1964 De Sena 297-156 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. JOHN PETO, Examiner. 

1. A CLAMP DEVICE FOR FASTENING A FRAME TO AN ARTIST''S COMBINED WORKBENCH AND EASEL, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE BODY FORMED OF AN ELONGATED STRIP OF SHEET METAL, SAID BODY BEING GENERALLY OF U-SHAPE INCLUDING A BIGHT PORTION AND A PAIR OF SPACED LEGS EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY FROM SAID BIGHT PORTION, THE LEGS TAPERING TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THE BIGHT PORTION AND BEING CURLED AT THEIR FREE ENDS, A LUG EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY FROM ONE LONG EDGE OF ONE OF THE LEGS, AND A LUG EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE OTHER OPPOSITE LONG EDGE OF SAID ONE LEG IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE LEG, SAID LATTER LUG HAVING 